Day 2 of Nevro trial

It's a spinal cord stimulator.

Sine the NERVO didn't work for you, me neither I just finished BURST by St. Judes Hospital.  A full 7 day trial.  Day 5 rep came to my house and erased the program and reprogrammed me.  Day 6 relief.  Day 7 out.  Now just waiting for my surgical consult then the implant.  Nervous and looking forward to relief aftr 5 years of excruciating nerve pain in the right butt and down the leg.  Talk to your Doc. and see if you can try another one.  Good luck.

I have recently changed pain management Dr.s, my old pain Dr was really pushing the Nevro HF 10, but I always felt like it for the $$$. My new pain Dr. has talked to me about the St. Judes with burst.

I have been dealing with the pain for 6 years, I have had a lamenectomy where the Neurosurgeon ruined my back, I was in worse pain after that surgery (L3 L4). I changed Neurosurgeons and he had to do a fusion, I was doing ok, I was stil on pain meds but too many a day (hydrocodone 10). A year later I ruptured L4 L5 and had to have another fusion. I was doing acceptable until this summer. Now I have sciatia pain down my leg and into my foot. I now take Oxycodone because the Hydrocodone was no longer working. I use to lay down and the pain was less but now I even have the pain when I am in bed.

I would be very interested to know how the St Judes with Burst works for you. What I liked about the Nevro they don't have to find the exact spot, the pain below device is suppose to help. Is that the same thing with the St. Judes? A couple years ago the old pain Dr did a trial of the Medtronic, my pain is all down my left side of my back and down the left leg. He was only able to get in on the right side of my back and down my right leg so I wasn't able to do the trial at all. He is also the pain Dr who did the trial of the pain pump and he put morphine in the pump, I am highly allegic to morphine. It was right in my chart. So now you see why I changed Dr.s.

May I ask what part of the country you live in? I am in Texas.

Thank you

Dianne

Pam, I am so sorry that the Nevro didn't work for you. I know how disappointing that can be. Has your Dr talked about a trial of a different stimulator? My new pain Dr has been talking to me about the St Jude with burst. I have had all of the necessary procedures done, on Monday I will be seeing my Neurosurgeon to figure out the next step.

Hi Dianne

i know exactly how you feel.  I cried that I got no relief from the NERVO as they used every pain combo and settings and a ew new ones.

I am 75 and have had 3 surgeries.  I am fused from L2-L5.  1) was to put cage and rods and bone n to stabilize my back.  2) 1 yr. later tripped in church and things moved.  Well my bones weren't strong enough to hold screws and body rejected all hardware except cage.  Thought he could put in bigger screws.  Nope.  I told him he should have used cement in the damn screw holes and the anchor them in.  He thought that was funny.  3) slight fender bender ..I called it love tap.  Me passenger behind driver.  Within 1 hr I had pain.  Hospital.  found nothing.  Neurosurgeon after 1 week found that an existing cyst from prior surgery which was at 1mm went to 8mm.  As he drained it, it filled up again.  So back into surgery to remove it.  Since then I have had rgt butt burn, down leg like sharp knives and both feet were numb.  I have some nerve damage and that's not coming back.  Went through all types of injections.  When they work yeah but next time no.

So after NERVO failure I did 7 day tried with BURST from St. Jude's.  Major difference they can gat site specific with tonic and then switch to BURST where you don't know it's there but it comes.  It too the rep to come to my home and use the magnet to erase the other techs program.  We worked hard to make mynright leg shake so I could feel it in the hip.  Then she switched to BURST and could not feel it but by the next morning Day 4 pain significantly reduced to where I could cope.

I, too, cannot take morphine nearly killed me, no codeine either.  So after months of no pain meds I succumbed to taking 2mgs. of Hydromorphone a synthetic morphine.  It took the edge off.  I don't like taking heavy drugs.  If I take 2 = 4 msg.  I get itchy so there comes Benadryl.  

NownI am waiting for a consult with the surgeon who will put it in permanently.  I opted to go for the free battery which requires once a week to wear a belt with some gizmo that fits over the implant to charge it.  It is the smallest battery and my thinking don't want large hardware in my back.

Hope I gave you som help.  Just Google BURST nerve stimulator and there is lots of info.  Good luck and don't give up.

Dee

Hi Dee, Thank you so much for your response. I am wondering what part of the country you live?. I really do hope that you will be able to have a successful implant of the St. Jude w/burst. I don't think that anyone could understand how exhausting, discouraging, painful, debilitating and so much more when back problems happen. I never had a back ache until one night when I went to bed and the pain was so great that I wasn't able to get any sleep.

I have always been small built (petite), but since I have been so seditary I have gained so much weight that I am now considered obese. I know that having added weight on puts a strain on my back.

You mentioned that you opted for the "free battery", I'm not sure that I understand the difference between the batteries. I'm curious why you chose that one over the other ones? Are you able to have any MRIs with this type of battery? 

Did they give you any idea how long it would take to to have the actual surgery to put the device in? Did they say how long before you will be able to drive again? Since my pain is on my left part of my back, down the the left leg it has never caused me any problem driving. I have a difficult time sitting in any chairs. When I am in our vehicle I have to have it laying back a little with a pillow for my back and also a little bolster pillow under the pillow. I am unable to sit in the family room with my husband. I spend a lot of time laying in bed with my legs elevated with a large wedge that I bought at a medical supply store. I also have my head elevated with 3 pillows and a small pillow for my lower back. Generally I am laying in bed unles I am at a Dr appointment like my Nurosurgeon tomorrow or water therapy.

I use to be so active before my back went out. I did a lot at church, took knitting classes each week and I was working and teaching in my art studio. Now my studio sits without me using it.

You mentioned that you are allergic to morphine. I get projectile vomiting and  I break out with a rash and I itch. It sure isn't a pretty sight. When you mentioned that the Rep for the St Jude came to your house, he used a magnet to reset the the program. Does the Rep have to come to your house to reset the program? I thought that the patient is able to reset programs over the phone. You also mentioned that they used a "tonic", what does that mean? 

Were you able to get some relief before the stimulator program was reset? Then you mentioned they turned on the "Burst", why did they wait so long to turn on the Burst? Is that when you were able to get some relief?

I really appreciate you taking so much time to answer my questions, thank you.

Dianne

Hi. I live in NY.  I always had burst on but since I wasn't achieving what they thought I should.  It was back to square one.  No the don't have to come to my home.  They usually call me and I use the phone open up program and hit either + or -.  She just wanted they didn't leave anything out. That's why she came.  Sometimes they use the tonic to find the main point of pain.  Then when they do they combine the two and you don't feel the tingling.

now

with this at my neuros office...big sign NO MRI'S if you have a neuro stimulator.  Never.  Not the end still can have CT.

Now the batteries.  Three different batteries with different battery life.  I took the one that comes with the implant.  If it's free, it's for me.  Haha.  So once a week I have to charge it.  It is also the smallest and takes up less space in the body.

Hope these help better.  Do google the Burst.  Take care,  I will keep you posted.

Dee